‘The Batman Part 2’ Officially Begins Filming, And The First Set Photo Might Tease A Major Villain

Gotham fans have been waiting a long time for any sign of life from ‘The Batman Part 2′, and that wait is finally over. The sequel to Matt Reeves’ acclaimed 2022 film has been stuck in development limbo for years, pushed back repeatedly while the script came together. With Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader saga finally moving forward, anticipation around this follow up has only grown louder among fans of the DC universe.

Reeves has spent recent weeks teasing fans with playful social media posts confirming long rumored castings, building buzz ahead of a bigger announcement. That announcement arrived when Reeves posted on X using the hashtag First Shot, confirming that filming on ‘The Batman Part 2’ has officially begun.

The image shared shows the production slate for the film, marked with the bat symbol. Reeves captioned the post tagging cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt and simply wrote Here We Go. Production is taking place in the United Kingdom, with the shoot kicking off in London as the highly anticipated sequel moves into principal photography.

What has fans buzzing even more than the slate itself is what appears in the background of the photo. The image seems to show a body undergoing what looks like an autopsy, though it remains unclear at this stage exactly who that figure is meant to represent. Some fans have speculated the figure could be an early glimpse of Victor Zsasz, tying into recent casting rumors swirling around the project.

Those rumors center on Sebastian Stan, who is confirmed to be joining the cast, though his exact role has become a hot topic of debate. Stan joins a stacked group of newcomers including Scarlett Johansson, Charles Dance, Sebastian Koch and Brian Tyree Henry. While Stan was originally believed to be playing Harvey Dent, fresher reports suggest he may instead be taking on the role of Zsasz, with Henry stepping into the Dent role instead.

Returning cast members include Robert Pattinson as Batman, Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oz Cobb, also known as The Penguin, and Andy Serkis returning as Alfred Pennyworth. Farrell’s involvement comes after his Penguin spinoff series found major success on HBO Max, though his role here may be smaller than fans expect. Farrell has previously shared that he only appears in a couple of scenes in ‘The Batman Part 2’, joking that it means he gets to enjoy the rest of the film as a viewer.

The plot itself remains tightly guarded, with Reeves and co writer Mattson Tomlin keeping most story details under wraps. The film is currently set for release on October 1, 2027, after facing multiple delays tied to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Interestingly, this sequel is not the only major DC project filming right now, as James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow has also begun principal photography, meaning new Batman and Superman films could both arrive in the same year.

With cameras finally rolling and the rumor mill in overdrive about who exactly is lying on that table, the next few months promise plenty of set photo speculation. What do you think that mysterious figure in the first shot means for the story, and are you team Zsasz or team Two Face when it comes to Sebastian Stan’s role.